---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started with the book 'Boardwalk…"
description: "\"I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World War I, the temperance movement, Prohibition,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg"
---

#  I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then…

![“I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World War I, the temperance movement, Prohibition, pop culture. I even read the news and magazines of the period just to soak in it. That was before I even started thinking of the story.” quote by Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg)

> “I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World War I, the temperance movement, Prohibition, pop culture. I even read the news and magazines of the period just to soak in it. That was before I even started thinking of the story.”

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author researched extensively across multiple historical sources before crafting the narrative, immersing in context to ensure authenticity.

**In simple terms:** Deep research before storytelling.

Key Takeaway

Research thoroughly before writing.

Themes

history research authenticity storytelling

Mood

curious reflective

Type

educational inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing a historical novel
- producing a documentary
- creating a period drama
- developing a museum exhibit

Key Concepts

primary sources contextual immersion multidisciplinary study

Questions to Reflect On

- How does extensive research affect creative freedom?
- What balance between accuracy and narrative is ideal?

A Different Perspective

Time‑intensive and may lead to information overload.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boardwalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardwalk/) [Boardwalk empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardwalk-empire/) [Boardwalks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardwalks/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop/) [Pop culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-culture/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Soak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soak/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Temperance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temperance/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/)

## Related quotes

> [One of the nicest things I ever read about our show was that a critic felt 'Boardwalk Empire' could be the beginning of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/one-of-the-nicest-things-i-ever-read-about-our-show-was-that-a-critic/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [“In the 18th century, a new awareness of the problem emerged and people, especially women, "occasionally banded together to try to persuade, cajole or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/in-the-18th-century-a-new-awareness-of-the-problem-emerged-and-people/)

[Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/)

> [The work of popular education, the temperance movement, the peace movement, are to a great extent carried on by the young. Their meetings show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/the-work-of-popular-education-the-temperance-movement-the-peace/)

[Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/)

> [“Coca-Cola actually started in response to a health trend. In 1886 an Atlanta pharmacist named John Pemberton, reacting to the local temperance movement, removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coca-cola-actually-started-in-response-to-a-health-trend-in-1886-an/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The support many Progressives lent to Prohibition reflected that naiveté, and though the Progressive Movement began to dissipate during World War I, Prohibition can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-support-many-progressives-lent-to-prohibition-reflected-that/)

[Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/)

> [It wasn't until after college that I started writing. I had just applied randomly for jobs in the media and got one on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/it-wasn-t-until-after-college-that-i-started-writing-i-had-just/)

[Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/)

> [I've often wished when I started a book I knew what was going to happen. I talked to writers who write 80-page outlines, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-ve-often-wished-when-i-started-a-book-i-knew-what-was-going-to/)

[Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/)

> [ To be honest, I don't know. I started one \[book\] back in 1982 or '83 when I first retired. But I was only 25… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-i-started-one-book-back-in-1982-or-83-when/)

[Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/)

> [“I am not usually such a sluggard," he said, as we walked quickly along the street, "but yesterday evening I got a novel. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-austin-freeman/i-am-not-usually-such-a-sluggard-he-said-as-we-walked-quickly-along/)

[R. Austin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-austin-freeman/)

> [By the end of the book, it is quite different than the way you thought it would be when you started the book -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/by-the-end-of-the-book-it-is-quite-different-than-the-way-you-thought/)

[Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/)

> [“I started with a book, and that led me to a library, and that led me everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-started-with-a-book-and-that-led-me-to-a-library-and-that-led-me/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [I'm really grateful for the opportunity I had on 'Boardwalk Empire,' just because it was very different than anything I'd done onscreen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-cox/i-m-really-grateful-for-the-opportunity-i-had-on-boardwalk-empire/)

[Charlie Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-cox/)

> [West Orange, where I grew up, is the hometown of Ian Ziering from 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' Scott Wolf from 'Party of Five,' David Cassidy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/west-orange-where-i-grew-up-is-the-hometown-of-ian-ziering-from/)

[Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/)

> [Yeah, I love 'Boardwalk Empire.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-fleischer/yeah-i-love-boardwalk-empire/)

[Ruben Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-fleischer/)

> [I love 'Boardwalk Empire.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-horford/i-love-boardwalk-empire/)

[Al Horford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-horford/)

## More by Terence Winter

> [TV is a level playing field, and you're competing for eyeballs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/tv-is-a-level-playing-field-and-you-re-competing-for-eyeballs/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [It's challenging, in a way, but if you depict anyone with all the colors of human emotion and show those moments - with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/it-s-challenging-in-a-way-but-if-you-depict-anyone-with-all-the/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [My favorite thing to write is people under pressure in high-stakes circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/my-favorite-thing-to-write-is-people-under-pressure-in-high-stakes/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [I'm always amazed by writers who say, 'Oh you know I had a half hour so I sat down and wrote a little bit.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-m-always-amazed-by-writers-who-say-oh-you-know-i-had-a-half-hour-so/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [I'm not interested in someone's credits. Let me see who you are, and tell me a story of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-m-not-interested-in-someone-s-credits-let-me-see-who-you-are-and/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [For me, I need to fully immerse myself in a script to the point where I'm literally locking myself away for weeks at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/for-me-i-need-to-fully-immerse-myself-in-a-script-to-the-point-where/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [If I hear an interesting turn of phrase on TV, I'll repeat it back - I just like to roll it around on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/if-i-hear-an-interesting-turn-of-phrase-on-tv-i-ll-repeat-it-back-i/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [During seventy years of TV, the audience came to feel that the rules are, you can't kill the second lead on your TV show!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/during-seventy-years-of-tv-the-audience-came-to-feel-that-the-rules/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [There's nothing funnier for me than taking two characters and throwing them into a pressure cooker and letting them turn on each other. Especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/there-s-nothing-funnier-for-me-than-taking-two-characters-and/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [I guess ... I'm going to get that ice cream sundae they give you on the airplane. I usually pass on that, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-guess-i-m-going-to-get-that-ice-cream-sundae-they-give-you-on-the/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [When Prohibition was first enacted in 1920, most people stockpiled alcohol, thinking they'd have enough to last them for years. By 1923, that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/when-prohibition-was-first-enacted-in-1920-most-people-stockpiled/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [We may live like saints, but when it comes to our fantasy life, everybody's got a little larceny in their soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/we-may-live-like-saints-but-when-it-comes-to-our-fantasy-life/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [I think that 'Vinyl''s faster-paced. I think 'Boardwalk' was much more luxurious in its storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-think-that-vinyl-s-faster-paced-i-think-boardwalk-was-much-more/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [I think people, whether they realize they're doing it or not, seek out distractions to take their minds off what they know is bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-think-people-whether-they-realize-they-re-doing-it-or-not-seek-out/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

> [If you're truly depicting human behavior in an honest way, it is a lot of miscommunication, non-communication, paranoia, passive aggressiveness. People don't finish sentences.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/if-you-re-truly-depicting-human-behavior-in-an-honest-way-it-is-a-lot/)

[Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

[Explore all 50 Terence Winter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/)

## More Atlantic quotes

> [Biarritz is one of the most popular holiday destinations in France and it tops the list for coastal resorts along the French Atlantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-drinkwater/biarritz-is-one-of-the-most-popular-holiday-destinations-in-france/)

[Carol Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-drinkwater/)

> [As late as the summer of 1941, the Atlantic Monthly, then a still respected magazine for literates and edited by White men, published a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/revilo-p-oliver/as-late-as-the-summer-of-1941-the-atlantic-monthly-then-a-still/)

[Revilo P. Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/revilo-p-oliver/)

> [The Atlantic Ocean was something then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-atlantic-ocean-was-something-then/)

[John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/)

> [There are people who could watch a hurricane like Sandy blow out of the Atlantic every other day and blame it on anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/there-are-people-who-could-watch-a-hurricane-like-sandy-blow-out-of/)

[Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/)

> [I loved going to the Knicks because we won the Atlantic Division championship. We went from winning 21 games or 19 games to winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-pitino/i-loved-going-to-the-knicks-because-we-won-the-atlantic-division/)

[Rick Pitino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-pitino/)

> [Grounding airplanes to cover your butt would never have let Orville or Wilbur change the world. We would still be spending weeks to cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/grounding-airplanes-to-cover-your-butt-would-never-have-let-orville/)

[Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/)

> [The Atlantic conference in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland is a dramatic moment in World War II history because for the first time, Roosevelt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/the-atlantic-conference-in-the-north-atlantic-off-newfoundland-is-a/)

[Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/)

> [I like work, I like song writing, and I like the history of Atlantic Records. They've sat in the studio with so many artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gourley/i-like-work-i-like-song-writing-and-i-like-the-history-of-atlantic/)

[John Gourley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gourley/)

> [Even as global warming increases the frequency of El Nino and the Atlantic event, their effects are being amplified by the annual loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/even-as-global-warming-increases-the-frequency-of-el-nino-and-the/)

[Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/)

> [Show Holmes a drop of water and he would deduce the existence of the Atlantic. Show it to me and I would look for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/show-holmes-a-drop-of-water-and-he-would-deduce-the-existence-of-the/)

[Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/)

> ['Atlantic City' is very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/atlantic-city-is-very-good/)

[Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/)

> [That's the best way to cross the Atlantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-whitten-brown/that-s-the-best-way-to-cross-the-atlantic/)

Arthur Whitten Brown

> [I didn't graduate from college, so I might as well be on Atlantic Records, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sturgill-simpson/i-didn-t-graduate-from-college-so-i-might-as-well-be-on-atlantic/)

[Sturgill Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sturgill-simpson/)

> [“The gap between most people’s capacity to conjure beauty from scratch and to merely recognize it when they see it is the width of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-gap-between-most-people-s-capacity-to-conjure-beauty-from-scratch/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [I was very much disappointed in the Atlantic Ocean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-was-very-much-disappointed-in-the-atlantic-ocean/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

Browse all 94 Atlantic quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World War I, the temperance movement, Prohibition, pop culture. I even read the news and magazines of the period just to soak in it. That was before I even started thinking of the story.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terence Winter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire-and-then-immersed-myself-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Atlantic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire-and-then-immersed-myself-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/terence-winter-13380_atlantic_i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire_1563814.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I started with the book 'Boardwalk Empire' and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World…” — Terence Winter",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Terence Winter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I started with the book 'Boardwalk...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire-and-then-immersed-myself-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/i-started-with-the-book-boardwalk-empire-and-then-immersed-myself-in/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
